Abandon All Hope
by CreepyCoincidence
Summary: She is in a new world. He is in an old one. They are at odds. (ZUKOXOC)
1. Chapter 1

The whole point of going into a television show that you have been following like a retard is that the television show, in question, remains the same. No weird storylines popping out of nowhere, no new characters being introduced. As a teenager, Lysanna had obviously thought of how different it would all be if she had entered Avatar as a new character; she would befriend poor prince Zuko who was misunderstood, mostly, she would be almost as great as the Avatar, she and Katara would become best of friends, Sokka would be her brother too, she'd be a confidante to Toph… Big ideals like that. Of course, it sort of bordered on being Mary Sue-ish, especially if she did manage to save Yue and add drama to Sokka's love life, but basically, that was the gist.

She hadn't prepared for the world that greeted her when she did somehow land into Avatar-land. Mostly, she hadn't prepared for the fact that she would be in Avatar-land at an age of eighteen, an age when she had mostly stopped watching Avatar, or following The Legend of Korra. It was with great surprise that she opened her eyes after falling into the ocean and saw that she was in a hustling, bustling market with fire nation banners hanging from every roof. Yes. It was quite the surprise.

The story of Lysanna's adventures began as normally as possible.

The conclusion however, was something she hadn't expected at all.

Mostly, she really hadn't expected that love would play a role in this at all.

* * *

"Lysanna, it's your turn."

"Give me a minute, Liel, I'm thinking."

Her brother rolled his eyes mockingly. "In a real battle, you would get no extra time," he said smugly, folding his arms across his chest as he watched her struggle with conceited eyes. Lysanna scowled.

"It's a good thing then, that this isn't a real battle."

Liel smirked at her, evidently deciding that she wasn't going to make a move anytime soon, for he stepped forward almost languidly, flexing his arms lightly before jabbing at her unprotected left side.

Lysanna jumped back, scowling even more furiously. "That wasn't fair; you're breaking the rules!" she exclaimed when Liel continued to advance towards her, breaking her offensive stance to opt for a defensive one as he sent forward a punch that she barely managed to parry, "And, you're stronger than me," she continued, withdrawing the wooden knife in her hands to twirl it lazily in her fingers. "But, I'm smarter!" she shouted, lunging forward to intercept his next attack before it could begin, effectively rendering his right arm useless as she fell on it.

She could hear him laughing loudly even as it struck her that the move she had attempted didn't do her any good at all.

Liel's other hand grabbed the knife hanging uselessly from the belt on her jeans, and he brought it down to her neck in a fast arc, jabbing her sternum with it before crowing victoriously. Regretfully, Lysanna got up and offered him her hand, before withdrawing it childishly and huffing. She marched into the house furiously, stepping into the kitchen to pour water on her head to remove the dirt that had accumulated.

"So, who won?" her father asked from his study table, looking up briefly to see her angry countenance before smiling at her. "What did you do wrong?"

"She forgot I have two hands," her insufferable brother said happily, grabbing the bottle from her hand. He ignored her half-hearted protests as he began to drink. "Dear Anna actually thought she could win this time though."

Admiral Ethan Sanders sighed, before looking at the two with stern eyes. "What about her hand movements? Were they alright?"

"She's grown stronger," Liel admitted with a shrug, "Her punch packs more power now," he continued, wincing slightly as he rotated his jaw, the very place that she had punched him. Lysanna smirked. "But her offensive leaves a lot to be desired. She's better at defense."

"Girls are generally defensive by nature, darling brother," Lysanna interrupted in a saccharine, sweet voice, reaching out to smack his neck before grabbing the bottle in his hand, "and anyway, I don't want scars on me. They're hideous, despite what you might think."

"Scars are a mark of honour."

Lysanna let out a bark of laughter before cuffing him on the shoulder, "You aren't in the Army yet, stop acting so pompous. Girls find scars a turn-off."

Her younger brother looked at her sceptically. "Weren't you just recently drooling over the Luke guy in Percy Jackson because he had a scar?"

"Details, details. Anyway, he was a hot character. You aren't."

It was a lie. Liel Sanders, even at the (tender) age of sixteen was incredibly appealing to look at, something her friends reminded her of everyday whenever he came into their line of sight. Liel had soft, brown hair that stuck up at crazy angles, muddy-brown eyes that seemed to be always smiling, an infectious laughter, and broad shoulders with a powerful physique, courtesy of all the training their father gave them both.

Being the only girl in the family, Lysanna had a boyish streak that ran a mile-wide. Obviously, she liked makeup, and boys, and mushy love stories, but she also happened to like hand-to-hand combat fighting, knife wielding, gymnastics and war games. The combination made a lot of boys shy away from her, but it generally didn't bother Lysanna. Until, of course, she reached eighteen and realized she had never had a boyfriend. It was something that Liel teased her about at every opportunity, especially after he had hit puberty and found girls hanging at every word of his. Liel was, put simply, somewhat of a playboy. He had broken many hearts at their school. Lysanna hadn't even managed to attract a single one. She was more of the type to have boys as friends.

Lysanna thought about all this as she ambled into her room, pausing to look into the mirror to see the same brown hair, same brown eyes that both Liel and her father had. However, on her, the effect wasn't quite as striking. Mostly because she had inherited her mother's plain features that even her father's genes couldn't cover up for.

Rose Sanders had been an average looking woman at most, but to their father, she was truly a rose. They had quite the epic romance in their time, the popular jock of the college falling head over heels for the nerd who sat on the first bench. But Rose had been a fighter. Sceptical of Ethan's reputation, she had forced him to give her quite the chase before accepting him. They married right after college, had Lysanna, and then two years later, Liel. But Rose Sanders died at childbirth, leaving a heartbroken husband, and two young children who then looked up to their father as god.

Somewhat put down by thinking of her mother, Lysanna attempted to wash her face thoroughly, before shimmying out of her dirty jeans into another pair, and throwing in a tank top on the top, opening her hair to look slightly more feminine. Then she frowned, and tied them up once more. Lysanna Sanders didn't want to try for those idiots who went to school with her.

She had two friends. Two very close friends who were now dating, and slowly, courtesy of exams and college applications, they had drifted apart. So now, in an attempt to meet them once more, they had all decided to meet up at the beach for some last rendezvous before they all went their separate ways. Obviously, the boyfriends and their single friend had been invited.

"I'm going out."

Ethan barely looked up from his file work. "Be back in time for dinner."

"Stay safe," Liel winked at her from his spot on the sofa in front of the T.V and gave her a short wave, "and don't get into many fights because your fighting skills are still lacking."

Amused, Lysanna rolled her eyes. "It's not my fault you hit puberty like a rock and are now growing like a gorilla. Later."

Laughing at the glare her brother shot her, she skipped out of the house, her mood relaxed and easy as she walked towards the beach. All around, she could see the neighbours doing various things, and she stopped to meet Sunny, a young girl in Liel's year who had a major crush on him. She was too shy to do anything about it though.

"Sunny! How are you?"

Sunny's beach-blonde hair bobbed as she waved back. "Anna! Long time, no see!"

"I know. We should totally catch up sometime later. I'm headed to the beach now. You wanna come?"

Sunny shook her head and gestured back at the house. "I have homework. Tons of homework."

"Right, right. Homework. I forget about things like that now that I've graduated. See you around, then!"

Waving once more at the blonde, Lysanna twisted towards the beach, removing her shoes and picking them up as she walked towards where she could see five teenagers lying around near a parked Toyota. Her friends didn't notice her until she was almost on them, upon which the shortest of the group, Joanna lurched forward to trap her in a hug. The redhead squealed. "You came, you came! Oh my gosh, I totally can't believe we've graduated! We're so grown up now! You'll have to stop watching anime and cartoons now, Anna, since you're a grown up! We're grownups!"

Lysanna patted the short girl on the back gingerly before hugging her back slightly. "I know, I know. Eighteen years. We've had a total of eighteen years together!"

The calm girl of their weird trio stepped forward. Samantha Wilkins. With a cigarette in her hand as she surveyed Lysanna with relaxed eyes. "Couldn't go easy on the jeans even now, eh?"

"Yeah, what are you hiding Anna?" a deep voice asked from behind Samantha, before grabbing Sam's waist. Peter Brown, Sam's gorgeous boyfriend. He had deep blue eyes, blonde hair and an attitude to match. Honestly, he was a bit of an ass, and Lysanna and he always fought over something or the other.

Trying to maintain the calm atmosphere, Lysanna attempted to smile at him. "Why does it matter? Look at Sam's stuff and leave mine alone."

Peter snorted. "I'm not interested in you, if that's what you're thinking. No one is."

"Peter…." Samantha warned, jabbing the blunt end of her cigarette at his chest as Lysanna's smile dropped, her good mood evaporating.

"What? She punched the last guy who was interested in her."

Lysanna crossed her arms over her chest as she surveyed the blonde boy with distaste in her eyes. "Want me to do the same to you?"

Peter snorted. "As if you could."

Before she could retort, James Rollins stepped forward. "Stop picking on her, Pete, that's rude."

Lysanna bristled at the tone, but kept her quiet. She had a crush on James for as long as she remembered. Once, she had even entertained the fantasy of dating him, since both of his best friends were dating both of her best friends, but it remained a fantasy at best. James had never shown any interest in her; honestly, he was more like Liel. A playboy, a heart breaker, a tart… The list goes on and on. But he was still rather good-looking, with his black hair and dark countenance that screamed danger. Something that had attracted Lysanna to him in the first place.

"Well, we were thinking of going into the water!" Joanna said loudly in an attempt to break the tense silence. From behind her, Aidan Chambers, her boyfriend nodded, before grabbing the redhead from her waist and pulling her towards the ocean. She squealed loudly. Lysanna watched them both going before sighing and turning around.

"I'm not dressed for the ocean."

"You should've worn shorts."

"I don't do shorts, Sam," Lysanna said with a small smile, remembering the argument of old. Somehow, this was one topic she and Sam had always fought about.

"Whatever. I'm going in. Pull up those jeans and join us," Sam said in an amused tone, rolling her eyes, "you anyway like doing adventurous things."

"Comes with being a part of a family that had only boys, I suppose," she shrugged, bending down to roll up her jeans. During that time, both Sam and Peter had left, leaving her alone with James. She was grateful for the dark, for a blush coated her cheeks as she stood up to find James looking objectively at her ass. She didn't comment on it though. Lysanna never did. Not to James.

"Wanna race?"

"To the ocean?" James asked, before smiling slightly so that the points of his teeth were visible. "You're on."

Without another word, both of them took off. Lysanna soon found that she was at a disadvantage though, for James was wearing boots made for the slippery sand while she was barefoot. Thus, it was no surprise when she found that he was already in the ocean, waiting for her. He smirked, before grabbing her hand and tossing her in. She let out a sound of outrage as she went under the water and came out sputtering.

"You are so dead!" she shouted, jumping out to grab James and pulled him in with her. He tried resisting, but then she placed a well-aimed kick on his shin that made him stumble. After that, it was pretty easy to pull him in.

They splashed around for a while, before noticing that the two couples were nowhere in sight.

"Where are Sam and Joanna?"

James looked around before shrugging. "No idea. They were here a moment ago."

Lysanna peered at the beach with squinted eyes before realizing they weren't on it. "You don't—they haven't been swept away, right?"

He looked incredulous. "Lysanna, no one's ever been swept away from this part of the beach. The waves are too weak."

She wasn't convinced. "I'm wading in a little to see if they're around."

"Fine," he said lightly, "I'm going back. See you there." With that, he turned around and walked out of the water, wet hair plastered to his forehead. Lysanna looked at his retreating back for a moment, before stepping forward a little to wade into the ocean.

"Sam? Joanna?"

There was no reply. Slowly, the water came up to her waist, and then she was submerged up till her chest. There was no one in sight, so she gave a confused look towards the beach, before noticing the head lights of the Toyota which was on. There were also two couples making out in front of it. At that, she shook her head resignedly before walking back.

Suddenly, the pull of the waves became a lot stronger, and a feel of dread began rising up in her chest. With every step she took, it seemed as if the water was pulling her back two steps, making her cringe as she increased the force she applied on stepping forward.

"LYSANNA!" Someone screamed loudly, and she stupidly turned around to see a very large wave cruising towards her, before submerging her inside completely. In the dark blur of the water, she never noticed the protruding rock until it hit her head, bringing her into the world of the unconscious.

* * *

Lysanna woke up to the sound of hawkers promoting their wares. Her head pounded somewhat awful, her arms seemed like dead weights, and the noise was deafening. Slowly, she got up from her position to find that she was in some alleyway that was riddled with stones, a clear cut sign that something was wrong. There weren't any stoned alleys from where she had come from. Objectively, before she had even realized it, her brain began supplying information quickly, she was in a market, she wasn't nowhere near home, and as she stepped forward, she was met with a wondrous sight.

All around the open square were banners with markings of fire on them; everything was red, black or golden. In the centre, a man stood, manipulating fire in his hands. She flinched when he extinguished it, and then out of nowhere, blew fire from his mouth and looped it around a little girl's shoulder who squealed in excitement even as her mother watched on with guarded eyes. The man bowed, and a few people clapped.

And the woman! She was wearing a loose, red tunic with flowy pants that Lysanna was sure she had seen somewhere. Slowly, her mind began categorizing the sounds, the colours, the fires, and came to one obvious conclusion. It seemed she was in the Fire Nation.

Lysanna's memories of the show were sketchy at best, but during her tenth grade, she had followed the serial like a madwoman, perusing every internet site, finding Avatar magazines, posters. She could hazily remember most of the show, and yet… Yet why was she here?

And what was this place? A hallucination? Or gods forbid, a reality?

Hesitantly, aware of her out of the world attire, she stepped out of the secluded alley, keeping her eyes lowered as she peeked at almost everything around her. There were hawkers selling food, kimonos, and other such items, but Lysanna's eyes were arrested by a large statue of Fire Lord Ozai in the corner, standing ominously with his arms crossed. Objectively speaking, what she needed was information. Had Ozai been defeated already? If yes, life would be much easier. Zuko had become much less of a bastard during the end, and Aang would definitely be of some help, Avatar that he was. If Ozai hadn't been defeated, well then, let's just say life was going to become unbelievably hard.

"Spirits, what is that girl wearing?"

Hastily, Lysanna snapped her head towards the source of the sound, finding a proud, regal Fire Nation woman staring down at her in distaste. Her companion, a similarly dressed older woman wrinkled her nose.

"Ayame, it is rude to stare. She is obviously a concubine."

They ignored Lysanna's agape mouth as they walked away, hips sashaying provocatively. She wanted to scream back at them, but then an age-old lesson of her father's came to mind: When confronted in a hostile situation, the best thing to do is to find information while keeping your head down.

Frowning, she glanced at her jeans and tank top. Not easy to do in such a situation, but she couldn't just remain standing in a public place. Eyebrows furrowed, Lysanna watched a palanquin make its way across, dazzling her with the easy display of money. It appeared she was in the rich sector of the Fire Nation. Quickly, she turned her head up, to find the castle situation not far away. It glinted in the sunlight, and not in a good way.

The human brain, during times of stress, usually works faster. Lysanna assessed the situation in a way that would make her father (oh, don't think about him. Or Liel. Or Sam and Joanna and countless others. Not yet, at least) proud. Remembering what Aang and his gang had done, she made her way through the market, trying to find an unaccompanied stall, or a house where clothes were hanging from. So she could steal them, obviously.

So busy was she in her inspection of her surroundings, that Lysanna forgot the main rule of being somewhere unfamiliar: keep your guard up all the time. She didn't notice that the road she was walking in had cleared, or that all the townspeople had formed respectful lines across it, even as they watched the newcomer with confused eyes.

Someone pushed her down harshly.

Lysanna landed on her elbows, jarring them quite stupendously before rolling around to break the fall. It worked, partially, as her face and knees escaped unscathed. She looked up.

A haughty fire nation official stood in front of her, knees bent in the classical fire-bending pose she had so often seen Zuko make during the series. Her eyes widened as she took in the person and his entourage behind him.

Zuko himself stood there, accompanied with a hearty looking Iroh who was calmly sipping tea from his cup. Next to them, were a dozen other officials, no doubt, Fire Lord Zuko's personal guard. The official who had pushed her was saying something to her angrily, but her ears were filled with a buzz. Somehow, this moment seemed decisive. Lysanna knew that intuition never proved wrong.

She scrambled up quickly, opting for a defensive pose even as her eyes flickered reluctantly from staring Zuko down to the official in front of her. He sneered upon seeing her clothes.

"Another concubine who doesn't know her place!" he spat angrily; "Don't you know you're supposed to get out of the way when the Lord comes for his stroll to the dockyard?"

He made to grab her arm, but she twisted aside, revelling in the look of surprise on his face as he grunted angrily. Then: "I'm not a concubine."

"A cheap whore, then, what with those clothes you're wearing. How provocative, girl!"

Stunned, she stared at him, noticing the almost bored look on Zuko's face as he watched the drama unfold with relaxed eyes. Next to him, she could detect a flicker of sympathy in Iroh's. Wasn't Zuko the good guy? Why would he watch an official of his put down a girl? Since he was Fire Lord, it was obvious they had defeated Ozai. Then why?

Again, she twisted to avoid the official's grabby hands. The official bristled.

"Guards up, men! She might be an assassin! Emperor Zuko, its best if you—"

"I'm not an assassin!" She shouted at him, on her guard for any sporadic bursts of fire. Thankfully, none of them indulged in fire-bending. _Yet_.

"Then what are you?"

"I—"Lysanna paused, before making up her mind, "I'm lost. I seem to have—had an accident. I can't quite remember who I am."

The men paused, as if waiting for a command. Lysanna jerked a little when Zuko opened his mouth.

"Since you have no place to go, become a concubine. Any of these men will willingly take you home. Just move out of my way and don't force me to attack you. These petty grievances of yours do not concern me."

It felt as if he had slapped her. On the show, sure, Zuko had been quite heartless at moments, but he had never exactly put down a plea for help. And hadn't he turned into quite the bearable guy after defeating Ozai?

It was with a critical eye that she observed him now, absently noting how his broad shoulders filled his armour, or how his hair was still as messy as ever after he had cut it. If this scene had come on T.V, she would've squealed. For he looked as if he had aged a few years, looking almost nineteen. The easy show of power would've made her gasp, as would the authority he wielded. Emanating from him was the brief sense of danger that screamed he could hurt her in a moment if he chose. It was quite the intoxicating combination.

Intoxicating and deadly, she reminded herself, even as the man who pushed her leered at her. "You can be my bed-warmer."

"NO!" the sudden protest came out of her, shocking her as well as the men into silence, before the official started forward.

"You have disrespected me, you little—"

"I'll fight you!" she announced suddenly. "I'll fight you for your honour. If you defeat me, I'll be—"she cringed, "your concubine. If you don't, then—"

"—then you can come with us to the castle. You can recuperate for a few days, and then set out to retrieve your lost memories." Iroh interrupted, seemingly oblivious to the irritated look his nephew sent him. On the surface, his eyes seemed as pleasant as ever. But Lysanna detected a note of pleading. Something that stated maybe Iroh knew about her situation more than she did.

Quickly, she nodded. "We'll fight for first blood. And no bending."

"What is your name?" Zuko interrupted, cutting off whatever reply the lecherous official might had made. Lysanna stared at him before nodding.

"Katara."

There was no sign of recognition of his face. Panicking, she shook her head. "No…It's actually Aang."

Again, there was nothing that gave away the fact that he might have heard the name before. "Sokka!" she shouted, ignoring the looks everyone sent to her. "Or Momo, or Appa, or Toph, or Haru, or Lee, or Mushi, or Jin, or…!"

_Nothing_.

Lysanna paled.

**A/N: Well, well, well. If you're a reader from 'The Kill', then thank you for taking time to see this story. Rest assured, my muse works like crazy on both of them, and so whenever I update one, the other won't be far behind. Hope you like Lysanna as much as you liked (hopefully liked) Aria.**

**If you're someone who's reading my stories for the first time, then WELCOME, friend. I genuinely hoped you liked this. Zuko's character in this might not be exactly what you're used to, but well, meh. I get that ZukoXOC isn't that popular, and most people prefer Zutara, but honestly, I'm a major fan of Kataang, don't like Mai, so, I've taken it up on myself to find a suitable character for Zuko dear. All mysteries shall be revealed in time.**

**Reviews make my world spin.**


	2. Chapter 2

_ In dreams, we enter a world that is entirely our own._

_-Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter)_

"Weapon of choice?"

"Swords."

"Knives."

Two sharpened knives were thrown towards Lysanna, who caught them with little difficulty. The handle to the knives was inlaid with gold, and it had a strong grip that she liked immediately. Experimentally, she flicked them in her hands, pleased that they were balanced and light. Her eyes flicked over to where the official was standing, and he gave her a mocking bow.

"My name is Renshu."

"My name is Lysanna."

"It is a pleasure to spar with you, Lysanna."

Her eyes twitched at the arrogance in his tone, but she nodded, nevertheless. "Likewise."

Out of the corner of her eye, she noted how the townsfolk had begun cheering for Renshu, screaming obnoxious things like 'show her how it's done in Fire Nation', or simply, 'make her bleed'. Zuko, she noticed, had lost the bored look in his eyes once he had seen her flick the knives expertly, obviously realizing that the match wasn't as unfair as he previously thought. She flashed him a grin, before turning to Renshu whose foot and a half length sword gleamed in the sun ominously.

Lysanna had a plan. It wasn't elaborate or necessarily helpful, but it was a plan. The plan was to avoid his sword and move close to him, to be able to easily cut his arm to draw blood. Knives were made for hand-to-hand combat, swords were not. They couldn't be more unmatched. The official obviously didn't think of her as a contender at all, and that was something she could work to her advantage. Pride comes before a fall, does it not?

He bowed, and she inclined her head as condescendingly as she could, taking care to never stray her eyes away from Renshu. Her worry wasn't without foundation, for as soon as she had straightened, he had bounced forward, and slashed at her with his sword.

Now Lysanna had no experience with swords; honestly, who did in the twentieth century? But she watched animes. Like Inu Yasha and other such one's and it was with prolific ease that she bounded away from the path of the incoming sword. Her legs tightened as she readied herself to spring over the official; like him, she too wanted to end this early. Her stamina probably wasn't as formidable as that of an officer in the Fire Nation Army.

She jumped upwards, executing an overhead flip with precision, and slashed blindly at the officer as she soared over his head, much like Ty Lee. To her extreme disgust, he had managed to escape, and her sword only caught the edge of his shirt which he tore away with glee.

"If you really wanted to disrobe me, all you need to do is lose."

Lysanna didn't grace his comment with a reply, and instead, rushed forward, twirling her knives dangerously as she grabbed both from the hilt, and slashed once more. One knife caught his sword mid-air and leaped out of her hands, falling on the earth with a loud clatter. It was with great dismay that she noted that the knife was now behind the official, who sauntered forward lazily, evidently having seen the battle as finished.

That was his downfall, of course. So she lost one knife. She still had one left.

She juggled the knife between her hands as she watched him move forward. With ease, he swung his sword, and at the last moment, she bent down and rolled over, underneath him so that she was now behind him. With a triumphant cry, her knife made contact with his left foot and she slashed, drawing blood. She was still on the floor as he roared angrily, and dropped the sword.

The next few seconds were a blur. Renshu turned around, his face forming a snarl as he raised his hands and spread his feet. It was with detachment that she noted fire beginning to form on his fingers, and she raised her arms to cover her face, waiting for the inevitable blast.

It never came. Instead, when she opened her eyes, she found Zuko standing in front of her. He held the official's right hand in his, and he twisted it, eliciting a cry of pain.

"Do the soldier's of the Fire Nation Army have no honour?" He shouted angrily, ignoring the spasms of fear on Renshu's face. "She won fair and square. Where is your HONOUR?"

One well-aimed kick later, Renshu was sprawled on the floor and Zuko kicked him on the side in extreme disgust. Lysanna scrambled to her feet, and rushed forward, placing one hand on the armour on his chest as she looked him in the eye. "Please. Let him go."

"This is not your place, peasant! Move!"

"No! No. Please. He—he wronged me. I decide his punishment, do I not? And I decide to forgive him."

Zuko plucked her hand off him, his eyes never leaving Renshu's bent form, which had moved to his knees with his head bowed. His eyes flashed when he turned to look at her. "Peasant, do not presume to know of the rules of Fire Nation."

"I don't," Lysanna said with a calm she did not feel, and raised her arms to show that she meant no harm, "but this is a universal rule. He wronged me, I decide his fate."

With disgust, he stepped aside, jostling her with his shoulder as he swept past imperiously. "What are you looking at?" he barked at the townsfolk who remained silent. "Do you have no work to do?"

Reluctantly, the crowd dispersed, quite a few of them sending backward glances at the young Fire Lord, who ran his fingers through his hair furiously. Lysanna noted how his form trembled with unbridled anger; it must be quite jarring to know that his own soldiers lacked what he coveted so firmly: _honour_.

Then: "He is confined to kitchen duty for a week. And I want no arguments from you, peasant."

She nodded in response, noting with unease how the rest of his vanguard stared at her with hostility, leaving Iroh whose face was as serene as ever. Zuko's hands went to his back as he knotted them together, and then turned to her. "The Fire Lord keeps his side of the bargain. You are welcome to the castle for as long as you need." Underlying that was a warning: _Do not abuse my hospitality for too long._

Lysanna inclined her head once more, ignoring the gasps from the stragglers, the townsfolk who had still not moved away. Apparently, this situation required that she bow. "Thank you."

"Very well. Luiyi—"

"No, nephew. Allow me. You continue with your stroll. I shall take her to the castle."

A look passed between nephew and uncle, and Zuko nodded, having seen something to satisfy him in Iroh's eyes. What it was, Lysanna had no idea. "Outfit her with suitable clothes, uncle. We cannot have a guest looking like that."

Lysanna bristled, wanting to comment how this was the norm in her world, but kept her quiet.

"I will, Zuko," Iroh said, placing one hand on Zuko's shoulder, "you need not worry." Then: "Come along, Lady Lysanna. Follow me."

She stepped around Zuko, and Renshu's still kneeling form, cast back one anxious glance at the official, and smiled at Iroh. "Please. Call me Lysanna. I am no Lady."

Zuko snorted. "No kidding."

With a scowl, she turned to face him. "Why? Because my clothes are wrong? Because I can fight? Because that's very sexist of you, you—you chauvinist pig!"

He grabbed her arm in a tight grip as he faced her, and she fought to keep her face neutral as he glared at her. "You shall not speak to your Lord like this."

Lysanna scoffed. "You aren't my Lord yet. I don't even know where I'm from."

"I am Lord of the whole world."

"That's presumptuous, buddy. What about the other nations?" she demanded, trying to twist out of his unsuccessfully, "Aren't there supposed to be four?"

Zuko's angry expression morphed into one of surprise. "You really don't remember much, do you?"

"Remember what?"

"The Fire Nation now has control over all the other Nations."

* * *

"Lady Lysanna—"

"Lysanna only, please," she interrupted with a smile which was flashed at Iroh with disarming ease as they walked towards the huge castle which gleamed in the setting sun.

"Ah, forgive an old man. Lysanna, do you remember anything of your past?"

Quickly, she shook her head. "No, Lord Iroh. I do not. Brief flashes."

"I must insist upon you calling me Iroh, dear girl. Lord Iroh sounds very formidable for a weakened old man."

Lysanna glanced at him. The aforementioned old man had another think coming if he thought she was going to fall for his weak charade. She had watched Avatar. She knew how Iroh put people at ease with his calm, placating, I-mean-no-harm tone, and she was wary towards it. Not that she didn't like Iroh. She did. Really, really did. But he was sly, as befitting a great general like him, and no doubt, he was amazing at extracting information.

So with forced ease, she looped an arm around his and skipped a bit, showing more teeth than she usually did when she smiled. "Iroh, then. The castle is so beautiful! Fire Nation itself is so beautiful!"

Privately, she smiled with more finesse when he bought it, hook, line and sinker. "You should reserve judgement until you see the inside, my dear. It is much more beautiful than the outside. Though you are the most beautiful, of course." He winked at her.

Lysanna hid a smile as she recalled fondly his ways of flirting, and giggled girlishly. "Oh, you flatter me endlessly, old man. Though you know who I think is beautiful?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Zuko."

"Choosing the Fire Lord over me already without even knowing him, Lysanna?"

She smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of her head as she kept up the façade of being an airheaded bimbo. It didn't quite go with the ruthless fighter image she had portrayed before, but hopefully, they would dismiss that as a girl wanting access to the castle and its subsequent ruler. "He is so strong. Honestly, it is quite the attraction." Then she pouted. "But is he always so grumpy?"

"Oh, undoubtedly. Even to pretty young girls like you."

"I think I might be able to melt that stone heart of his though, Iroh." Once again she giggled, as if embarrassed at being so forward. "He can't resist a pretty smile forever."

Iroh seemed lost in thought. "No. No, he can't," he agreed absently, and in her mind, Lysanna cheered, having fooled the old man so easily. Then suddenly, his eyes flashed towards her.

"But you aren't interested in him, are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Give this old man some credit, my dear girl. You are much more intelligent than what you're trying to appear."

She dropped his arm. Then in a forced, light tone: "Caught on, have you?"

He stopped suddenly, and turned to her. "I would advise you to keep the act up once we're inside. The Fire Nation is dangerous for young girls like you. Especially those that are not backed by a big name, and have no connections."

"Why are you telling me this? I tried to deceive you."

"I sense something in you, Lysanna. Something like my nephew. You both fight against the world quite ruthlessly. And you're cautious. I respect that, even if I don't like it. The airheaded image would fool most, but the most intelligent. Those who manage to pierce the armour though, are those you need to watch out for. Already, rumours will be spreading of a young girl who defeated a member of the Fire Nation Army, and soon, you will be the target of ubiquitous flattery and veiled threats. The Fire Nation Court is one of intrigue, and only the most intelligent manage to stay abreast of the games it plays."

She frowned. "But I was invited by the Fire Lord. Surely that counts for something."

"No. In fact, it puts you in more danger. Zuko has not taken a bride yet; you will be the target of jealous glances by young girls. Men will flock around you, trying to secure what has been chosen by what they see as the Fire Lord himself. Inside, it is not safe for you."

"But you will help me?"

Iroh bowed his head. "I will try to. And I will try to persuade my nephew as well. Which is why I ask you not to antagonize him—" Suddenly, he smiled, teeth glinting. "—_much_."

"My past? They will be curious about my past."

"Stick with the story. You don't know. This way, you could be a nobleman's kidnapped daughter, or the lowliest peasant, but they wouldn't mind."

This time, she bowed. "Thank you, Lord Iroh. You have been most helpful."

He looked at her with a thoughtful expression as she straightened up, and then suddenly spread his arms, catching the edges of his tunic as he grabbed it, and curtseyed. All the while, Lysanna stared at him in surprise. "No. A girl never bows. You must curtsey. Copy me."

She did. After a few tries, she got the hang of it, and he nodded in approval. "Remember to keep your eyes bowed, but keep your head high."

"Yes. I will." Then she laughed. "Thank Spirits I didn't bow to Zuko. He would've laughed at me."

"I don't think my nephew would've cared one way or the other. Being a part of Fire Nation nobility, he does truly believe that a woman needs must know how to defend herself, and considers men and women equal."

"Funny," she protested, "He looked askance at me when I proposed a fight."

Iroh suddenly laughed, clutching his vast belly as he did so. "My dear girl, truly, you say the most precious things. Zuko has always had problems expressing his emotions. What seemed a condemning look to you was probably one of surprise that someone would dare challenge the member of his vanguard. Regardless, your intervention on behalf of Renshu has definitely earned you his respect."

"Grudging respect," she corrected.

Iroh wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes as he smiled kindly at her. "Take it as you must. Now, Lysanna," he suddenly said in a business-like tone, "Women of Fire Nation are proud, regal and haughty. It is accepted that a peasant has as much right to be proud of her station as does the Fire Lady herself. But you are an unmarried girl. So, you must keep your hair down, flip them often, offer vague compliments, flirt with every man you see, and giggle endlessly. On questions concerning your past, bite your lip and look uncomfortable. Express regret that you don't know if you even have a family. If you can, shed a few tears. This should discourage all but the most persistent suitors."

"Anything else?"

"Not that I can think of. Avoid personal invitations. I shall spread the word that you are now an honoured guest of mine, and thus by extension, my nephew's. This should place you in a position to refuse most invitations graciously. Also, take care to downplay your fighting prowess. I think you would've, even if I had not said anything, seeing how cautious you were to me."

He's giving me a chance to apologize and start anew, Lysanna thought with hope as she inclined her head. "Forgive me, Iroh. I was just trying to—"

"—remain on the safer side. Yes, I know." He stepped forward to place his hands on her shoulder. "I understand. But you need not fear any danger from me or Zuko. With us, you can drop your shield. I'm sure living a double life will be hard enough without having a reprieve."

Lysanna nodded, suddenly overwhelmed. She was from another world, another dimension altogether… All she had done was to dupe and deceive Iroh, and yet the old man was as gracious as ever. Truly, she didn't fear him or Zuko. Everything aside, they wouldn't consciously harm a young, lost girl, she was sure of that.

"I shall try, Iroh."

He nodded. "To the castle now, yes?"

Lysanna looped her arm around his once more, and they resumed walking. "So, tell me, how did the Fire Nation manage to gain control of all Nations?"

"My brother, Ozai, harnessed the power of Sozin's comet to unleash the war. Against that power, all nations crumbled."

Lysanna glanced at him. "What about the Avatar?"

"The Avatar hasn't been seen for the past hundred years."

She tried to control her suddenly fast heart as she considered those words. That meant that Aang was probably still stuck in the glacier! She should try and rescue him. But what about Katara and the rest?

"What happened to the other nations, Iroh?"

"They crumbled. All benders from those areas were forced to swear on their homeland to not gather together and rise against the Fire Nation. Still, sometimes, there are small pockets of resistances that Zuko has to crush."

"What about… What about Ozai? Shouldn't he be Fire Lord?"

"Lord Ozai is dead, dear girl. He died due to excessive heat generated in his system by harnessing the comet. But he realized his dream as he did so, so it wasn't all for naught. Ah, look, we're here."

Lysanna snapped her head forward to see a large, ornate door right in front of her. It was elaborately carved with dragons whose maw was open. Firelight flickered in their mouth. A troupe of guards stood at the entrance, wearing the customary helmets she was used to seeing on the show. A few of them nodded at Iroh as they walked past, and glanced at her curiously before fixing their eyes forward.

Once they had entered, Lysanna gasped loudly. The entrance hall was beautiful. There was no other word for it. Large chandeliers graced the ceiling which had paintings on it, and the walls had a glow around them. Like the entrance, fire flickered here too, and Lysanna was suddenly aware how vulnerable she was, being a non-bender. How did non-benders survive in this world?

In her musings, she failed to notice a servant that had scurried forward and bowed low to Iroh. Iroh gestured towards her. "Take her to the room at the end of the hall on the third floor. Provide her with suitable clothes. Once she is done, bring her to my room."

"But sir, Fire Lord Zuko lives on that floor."

"These are on Zuko's orders. Go now. She will have dinner with me in my room. Also, send my nephew to me when he returns."

The servant nodded, and began walking away. Lysanna waved at Iroh before following him. They climbed two flights of stairs before reaching a plain door. The servant pushed it open and bowed, but Lysanna was too enchanted by her room to notice. It was huge. Huge and as elaborately designed as the rest of the castle. A large bed took residence at the centre, and there were couches next to it. There was also a small, wooden coffee table inlaid with gold, and a small chair next to it. Everything was red, black and golden. Gryffindor, she thought with surprise.

"My Lady, would you like me to draw a bath? I will send for a woman to help you dress once you're done."

"Hmm…? Yes. Yes, sure. Thank you." She added at the end, staring at the servant who bowed before walking to an adjoined door. He opened it, and she spied a large bath tub. After a few moments which she spent admiring her new abode, he stepped out and gestured to the bathroom. "Does My Lady need any help in taking a bath?"

"What? No! I'm fine."

With that, she stepped past the servant to walk into the bathroom. A shining mirror stood solitary in the corner, which she stared into for a few minutes, noting her dusty hair and equally dirty clothes, but then grinned as she stripped down and fell backwards into the tub. Some of the water sloshed out, but she sighed in relief. Knots of tension loosened themselves in the warm water, and she breathed in the scent of vanilla gratefully, it was much, much better than the smell of smoke surrounding the fire nation.

Once she was done relaxing and scrubbing herself, she stepped out and reached for a vacant cloth on the toilet seat, and wrapped it around herself. The next few steps brought her out in the room, where a woman waited for her this time. She had customary long, black hair which was piled up high and inquisitive green eyes. She gestured at the strips of cloth on the bed.

Lysanna furrowed her brow. "What is that for?"

The woman widened her eyes for a moment before nodding briskly. "These are your chest wrappings."

"My what?"

Lysanna thought of her bra lying in the bathroom, and then stared doubtfully at the cloth. "Does this even…" she cleared her throat, embarrassed, "does this even provide support?"

"Of course, My Lady! This is what all women use."

"Well… I… How do you wear this, exactly?"

"You wrap it around you," the woman explained, looking at her as if she was stupid. Lysanna _felt_ stupid. "Would you like my help?"

Modesty was never an issue in her time, so she nodded, and dropped the towel a little so that her upper portion was uncovered. If the servant was scandalized by the action, she didn't show it. Instead, she picked up the long pieces of cloth and began wrapping it around her chest, tying it behind her tightly enough for Lysanna to skip a breath.

"Can't you make it a little looser?"

"It might come off then, My Lady."

"Call me Lysanna," she grunted after a particularly tight tug around her breasts. "What's your name?"

"Sango, My Lady."

"Lysanna," she insisted, and felt rather than saw the servant move back. "Is it done?"

"Yes. Can you please put this over your head?"

It was a long, red vest, and Lysanna shrugged before pulling it on. Sango brushed it carefully over a few spots before picking up a red and golden… tunic? It was nothing she had ever seen before. It looked like a jacket, but it had no buttons. Instead, it was closed tightly with light, black lace till her waist and then flared open, reminding her of coattails. Lysanna allowed Sango to put it on nonetheless.

Then she was asked to put on something that looked like bloomers which worked as underwear in this weird world. Once again, she thought longingly of her cute white bottoms lying in the bathroom before putting them on. Underneath them went something that looked like breeches, but they were pants and not some skirt, which she was grateful for.

There was a mirror in the rightmost corner which she frequented as soon as Sango had nodded in approval. The woman that met her eyes didn't look like the Lysanna she knew at all. Gone was the girlish aspect of her appearance; instead, her clothes brought out all her curves without looking too whorish. Her long, brown hair tumbled past her back and she frowned at herself, before sticking her tongue out at her reflection. That seemed to remind her of her own identity and she smiled.

"Thank you for the clothes, Sango. They are beautiful," she said honestly, turning to the servant who picked up the cloth she had used as a towel.

"It is, but my duty, My Lady."

Lysanna gave up asking her to call her by her name.

"Do you want me to wash your previous clothes?"

"No. I'll do it myself," Lysanna said, thinking of her bra and underwear which would probably make the older woman faint in shock. It showed more than it covered, obviously. Lace was a commodity that was meant to be sensual.

"But My Lady—"

Lysanna held up a hand. "No buts. I order you to leave my clothes alone. Take me to Lord Iroh, please."

Sango's mouth set itself in a straight line, but she nodded. "This way," she pointed, leading the way while Lysanna followed. They stopped in front of a plain door once more, and Sango knocked.

"Come in, come in," Iroh called cheerfully, and Sango bowed at Lysanna before walking away briskly, evidently busy. Lysanna stepped into the room.

It looked much like hers, but more personalized. There was a tsungi horn lying vacant on the corner, clothes were strewn haphazardly on the bed, and Iroh himself was seated on the chair next to the coffee table, with a teapot in his hand. Lysanna grinned.

"Ginseng?"

"Ah, a fellow tea-lover?"

No, merely a follower of Avatar, but she nodded at him anyway. She pulled another chair to seat herself opposite him and let her gaze wander as he poured her a cup. The first sip she took was bliss, second was surprise, third was wonder, and fourth was happiness. So this was what the old man kept harping on about in the show. Lysanna found that it was warranted. The tea was delicious.

"Thank you for the cup, Iroh."

He waved her gratitude away. "Tell me; was the room to your comfort?"

"It was perfect."

"Good, good. You look much like a Fire Nation girl in these clothes. Did the maid not offer to put on powder?"

Lysanna shook her head. "No. Not quite. If she had, I would've refused."

"Ah, no vanity, then?"

"I am vain, Iroh. I think every girl is. But it is an aspect that I can gain control over."

"That is nice. Very nice. It is a trait I quite admire I women. What are your plans now, Lysanna?"

"Honestly, old man, I don't know." Absently she traced the design on her cup. "I just want to recuperate and gain information about what is going on. Do you have any scrolls I can read?"

"Can you read?"

Lysanna opened her mouth to protest, but then her eye caught what appeared to be a poster. The words on it seemed like chicken scratches. "No. No, I believe I cannot." Not this language, she added silently in her head, thinking about how she could even comprehend what people here said.

"I shall teach you."

"Oh, I wouldn't like to impose!" she said hurriedly, raising her palms, "you must be a busy man."

"Nonsense. I am free most of the time, I assure you. It would be a pleasure to teach someone as bright as you."

Colour rose to her cheeks at the flattery. "You are making me blush!"

"It is, but a beautiful colour on you. Do not sound so embarrassed. I'm sure my nephew would appreciate it a lot."

Lysanna gave him a sceptical look. "I thought you knew I was lying when I said I was interested in Zuko?"

"Every girl is interested in Zuko, my dear, despite that unfortunate scar. It is a legacy handed down to him by his mother, who was like a flower amongst barbarians."

"If I can… How did he get his scar?"

How did he become Fire Lord? Was he even banished? Is Azula alive? Is Ursa alive? Is he still the confused young man I know of?

"Zuko was challenged to his right of becoming Fire Lord after Ozai's death by his sister, Azula. They fought an Agni Kai, and Azula managed to burn his face. He keeps his scar as a mark of honour that he won."

Lysanna closed her eyes to lean back in her chair. So Zuko was never banished after all. Probably didn't even have daddy issues.

"What is she like? This Azula?"

Iroh's voice dropped. "I would caution you against making her acquaintance, Lysanna. Azula is a shrewd and cruel woman; she lives to make her brother's life difficult. The only reason Zuko hasn't banished her yet despite her transgressions is because she is strong. Very, very strong, and if left free, would burn down everything in her path. She is also very cruel."

Lysanna nodded absently, and then jerked in surprise when the door banged open loudly. Fire Lord Zuko stormed in. He looked as if he had just come back from his walk to the docks and had walked straight here, for his armour was still dusty and his hair was messed up. He stopped upon seeing her. His eyes first widened in surprise, and then narrowed dangerously.

"Uncle," he began in a deadly tone, "what is the peasant doing on a floor meant for the royal family?"

"Ah, you found out where I have put her already?" Iroh asked in a cheerful tone, completely ignoring the waves of murderous intent rolling off his nephew. "I thought it for the best."

"Explain." Zuko demanded tersely, still glaring at her. Coolly, Lysanna crossed her arms and met his eyes, staring right back. He was the one to look away first, and she did a mental dance of victory.

"Zuko, don't be dense. If we place her anywhere else, she'll be eaten by the wolves. Your wolves, in fact. You know of the rumours circulating her arrival. She will be torn apart if we don't defend her."

His hands fisted. "We don't need to protect a peasant, uncle!"

"ZUKO!" Iroh all but roared, getting up from his chair to face the Fire Lord. "I thought your mother taught you better than this. She taught you to protect the weak. _Protect_ the weak and _defend_ the innocent. Lysanna has no family, nothing apart from us. You are becoming more and more like your father, son."

He closed his eyes angrily, scrunching them together as he trembled in fury. "That is the point Uncle. I am supposed to be my father! How else will I rule a Nation?"

Iroh placed one weary arm on his shoulder. "I have told you many times before. You will be respected no matter what path you take. You don't have to be your father. Maybe a different way of ruling is what the people need."

Zuko jerked back, so that Iroh's arm on his shoulder dropped. He opened his golden eyes to glance at Lysanna once more, before nodding at Iroh. "I will support your decision, Uncle. But she is a peasant, and she can expect no respect from me," he spat angrily, directing the second sentence at her. "She is loud, outspoken, and stupid and will last no longer than a day before she rushes out crying. Mark my words."

Iroh smiled at him. "Thank you, nephew. Would you like some tea?"

Lysanna stared at the young Fire Lord in anger, scowling at him as he expressed refusal at the offer before slamming the door behind him. Iroh turned to her.

"Now that this is settled, would you like some dinner?"

"Yes, I will. But settled, how? Zuko was so angry. I thought he said I—"

"—oh, he'll discourage everyone interested in you. My nephew is many things, but mostly, he has a good heart, even if sometimes his brain leads him astray. "

Lysanna looked at him doubtfully. "If you say so."

* * *

_Lysanna raised her arms in the air easily, bending her knees as she waved them, and suddenly, the air around her lifted. Behind her, was a group of people intent upon killing her. She couldn't make out their faces, but somehow, she knew. They meant her harm._

_Her body began rising, but it wasn't fast enough. The air currents fluctuated, and she dropped down, screaming, betrayed that the air would stop taking her side at a time like this. Someone caught her foot, and she let out yet another piercing screech. She was pulled down, and an ornate, golden hilted knife caught her eye. Once again, she let out a blood-curdling scream as it was brought to her chest_.

Lysanna sat upright in surprise, placing one hand on her chest as she panted loudly in the dark. It's just a dream, she tried to reassure herself, but her heart refused to quieten. The bed springs squeaked underneath her as she swung her legs to the side and stood up with shaky feet, running one hand through her hair. Quietly, she padded to the door and pushed it open, peeking out to see the empty corridor before stepping outside. Her feet made no sound as she traversed across its length. Iroh had mentioned a balcony somewhere on this floor, possibly at the end of the corridor. She sighed in relief when she spotted a shard of moonlight spilling out of a crack in one door, and she opened it, revelling in the feel of the cool air.

She made her slightly unsteady way to the railing, opting to lean against it as she stared up at the moon. Then, feeling foolish, she began to talk.

"I wish you would tell me why I'm here. Honestly, I've never been so confused my whole life. I'm just eighteen… I—I graduated. Or was that a dream and this a reality? But then again, I don't really remember, do I?" she chuckled ruefully at the end, leaning forward a bit more to ensure more moonlight over her. "Are you Yue? Or are you La? Or was it Tui? Spirits. I don't even remember. It's been so long."

She ignored her beating heart as she looked down, and then inclined her head when she spotted something—something white. Appa? No. It was a feather. A pure-white feather. Confused, she extended her hand a bit in order to catch it, fingers stretching as she grunted, and her fingers brushed past the downy cotton.

"What are you doing?"

Lysanna yelped in surprise, twisted around, and then promptly lost her balance as she tumbled down. One hand caught the railing as she moved slightly in the breeze, while the other hand managed to grasp that of the owner of the voice that had startled her.

Moonlight shone on the scarred face of Fire Lord Zuko.

**A/N: Thank you, my first and only reviewer, KJun. Well, I know this pairing is unpopular, but THIS unpopular? Sheesh guys. Okay. If you like it, review. If you don't like it, review. *smiles* **

**Disclaimer: I'm saying it just once. Don't own anything. If necessary, the name Sango belongs to Inu Yasha. **

**Cheers.**


	3. Chapter 3

_I know we got it good, but they got it made,_

_And the grass is getting greener each day._

-All the Right Moves (One Republic)

"Hold on to me tightly," Zuko instructed in a calm voice, a calm Lysanna definitely didn't feel since she was basically hanging onto a railing and a Fire Lord, both of which were now responsible for at least her life, if not her weak legs. Zuko was oblivious to the morbid thoughts in her mind, for he began pulling her up, heaving slightly as he did so. "Tighter—that's right…"

With a loud '_oof'_, Lysanna managed to roll over the railing, and onto the Fire Lord, both of which protested loudly at her weight. She and Zuko landed on the tiled floor with a thud, but it was Zuko who bore the brunt of it, for she was basically on top of him. Her fingers curled around his bare arm as she panted. For one agonizing moment, he allowed her to catch her breath and calm her heart, after which: "Get off me, peasant!"

Lysanna got off him after that, thought about offering him a hand, and then promptly decided against it. Once again, she approached the railing for balance, but this time, opted against leaning on it. Her hands began brushing the dust off her clothes, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Zuko scrambling up, glaring at her furiously. It seemed all he ever did was to glare at her. She fought the urge to stick her tongue out.

"What were you thinking?" he demanded after a few terse moments, and she spared him a glance before shaking her head.

"I wasn't."

"Excuse me?"

She flushed, suddenly grateful for the fact that her back faced the moon. "I thought I saw something—"she glanced back, but there was no feather in sight anymore, "—and it seemed important... So I…"

"What did you see?"

"You'll laugh at me."

He gave her an incredulous look. She shrugged.

"A feather, okay? I saw a feather and I wanted it. So I stretched, and almost got it too, if I might add, but some stupid person startled me while I was leaning over a bloody railing. Who does that?"

That seemed to offend his royal highness, for he crossed his arms in a decidedly annoyed fashion. "I was wondering who would be crazy enough to go leaning over railings in the dead of the night. I should've known it would've been you. You're the only one reckless enough."

Lysanna rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, because you're just the epitome of sane, aren't you?"

"What's the supposed to mean?"

Oh, nothing, basically that in another world, you're pretty much bi-polar. "Nothing."

"What are you doing out right now anyway?"

Lysanna peered at him, decided that he merely seemed curious, and sighed. "I had a bad dream."

Zuko turned around slightly, facing the moon as he did so, and a sliver of moonlight fell onto him. It illuminated the fact that he was shirtless, and suddenly, the night seemed too hot for her. "Anything about your past?"

"What? No—no." She cleared her throat, turning away a little too so that her red face wouldn't be visible. _What a hot, hot bod—bad, bad Lysanna. Let's not think about that right now._

"I come here frequently." He announced out of the blue, looking completely unperturbed by the fact that she was sneaking glances at him—if he had even noticed in the first place, that is. "It's soothing."

"Um—yes? Yes, it is."

He glared at her. "Must everything be spelled out for you, peasant?"

"Uhh…What, now?"

"I come here. So that means you stop coming here. Clear?"

"That's rude," she said flatly. Then: "It's not like I was actively seeking out your company, by the way. Iroh mentioned a balcony, and it sounded nice. My being here had nothing to do with you!"

"Forgive me if I don't believe you, peasant. You seem like the attention seeking types."

Scandalized beyond measure, Lysanna stared at him for a few moments before stepping forward. "Look here, buddy—" She punctuated each word with a poke on his arm, "—I don't care what power high you're on nowadays, but trust me, I want nothing to do with you. In fact, the more we stay out of each other's way, the better it will be. You aren't my type!" She huffed furiously at the end, completely missing the enraged look that flashed on Zuko's face.

In a blur of sorts, she was pressed against the wall and Zuko's hand was on her throat. "How dare you speak to me like this? You—you peasant! You're outspoken, rude, and uncouth—you do realize I could have you executed for this!"

Her hands went to his chest and she pushed, not caring that her attempts made not the slightest of difference to his position. "Back off, bastard! Don't you know the meaning of personal space?!"

He continued to press his fingers through the soft skin of her throat, and soon, she was coughing as the air in her wind supply got cut off. Desperately, she clawed at his hands, drawing blood. It didn't seem to faze him at all. His other hand was suddenly coated with a bright, red ball of flame as he stepped away from her (finally), and he pointed that appendage at her throat.

"Get out of my sight."

Humiliated beyond repair, she did. Her feelings of self-disgust soared to a new high as she literally ran past him, not even noticing that her vision had blurred, or that he had noticed the slight wetness on her face. Her feet thundered past the corridor, resting before her door, which she pushed ajar with one frantic movement. She wiped her face with shaky hands as she moved inside her room.

"Lysanna."

She spun around to see Zuko himself standing on her door, leaning against it actually. His face wasn't visible in the dim light and all she could make out was his built form.

"I'm sorry."

Lysanna slammed the door on his face.

Sleep was difficult in coming that night.

* * *

Lysanna avoided Zuko the next day. It wasn't too hard, for if she had to hazard a guess, he was trying to avoid her too. In hindsight, _maybe_ she shouldn't have slammed the door on his face, _maybe_ he shouldn't have tried to choke her and scare her with fire, _maybe_ she should have been more grateful and less sarcastic, _maybe_ he should've been more gracious, _maybe_ she should've accorded more respect, _maybe_ he shouldn't have scared her while she was leaning over, _maybe_ he shouldn't have doubted her fighting abilities and maybe, just _maybe_, mind you, she should've kept her mouth shut concerning the Fire Lord.

But then since we're already on the topic, maybe she _shouldn't_ have been sent here in the first place.

"My Lady, are you uncomfortable?"

She hummed in response to Sango's question, grabbing the banister as the woman tugged upon the cloth on her chest. It was uncomfortable, didn't provide much support, and mostly annoying, but since her own undergarments hadn't dried by now, she was forced to rely on the flimsy one's concocted by the Fire Nation women. Sango, on her part, looked as if she had never seen better days. The servant literally glowed. What was the secret of all these Fire Nation ladies? Lysanna wanted in.

"There. All done now. If you can, My Lady…"

Lysanna allowed her to shove her petite frame into something that resembled a dress, but wasn't quite so feminine. Whatever it was, it was appropriate for appearing before the Court for lunch. According to Iroh, although the event wasn't a ball by any means, and took place almost every day, protocol demanded that one look their best before the Fire Lord. She felt like snorting; she was pretty sure that while bending over the railing last night, she had totally flashed him her underwear. Knowing Zuko, he had probably turned red, and then transferred his annoyance at that on her. Or was he more experienced this time?

The thought left a vaguely unpleasant taste in her mouth.

"All done, My Lady. Would you like me to escort you to Lord Iroh?"

"No, it's quite alright. I'm sure I have the way memorized."

She didn't. Half an hour later, or so she assumed, she was still wandering the halls of the castle, and severely regretting her decision. Who was she—a newcomer— to think she had the ways of a bloody castle memorized?

"Quite vexing," she grumbled audibly, when she turned around the corner of the same corridor for the fifth time.

At that exact moment, something small crashed against her legs, and she was sent tumbling back. Lysanna's fingers curled around that small something as she fell down, taking her adversary along with her. When her eyes opened, she met the face of a child.

"I am Tom-Tom," the kid announced imperiously, almost as imperiously as Zuko, and Lysanna stifled a smile. Wasn't this Mai's brother? "You, girl, are in my way."

Ooh, it seemed as if Tom-Tom even took lessons from Zuko. She grinned widely. "Oh, forgive me, Lord Tom-Tom. I had no intention of hampering your progress. My name is Lysanna."

"Very well. I shall consider forgiving you."

This was too precious. "If I may, Lord Tom-Tom. I seem to be lost. Could you guide me to Lord Iroh?"

Tom-Tom peered at her suspiciously, black hair falling across his face. He appeared to be no more than five or six. Then, finally: "My mother says I should be a gentleman and help all ladies."

"I'm sure you're quite the gentleman, Lord Tom-Tom," Lysanna crooned, not being able to resist brushing his hair. He scowled at her, and the look was so funny on a child, that she almost fell back laughing. But then she seemed to recollect herself, for she got up, holding the child strategically in her arms. For all his greatness, Tom-Tom seemed to like being carried.

"I'll take you to the garden." He announced suddenly, grabbing hold of the slight ruffles on her dress. He pointed one pudgy finger in the direction he had just hurtled from, and she began walking towards it. A few moments later, they stood in front of a backdoor that she pushed open. They really were in a garden. The sun beat down almost unbearably on her back, so Lysanna took a place under the shelter of her tree. Shielding her eyes, she looked around, and the place sparked a memory in her. Wasn't this the place Ursa bought Zuko? In a few seconds, she had located the pond with turtle-crabs in it, and with glee, pointed it out to Tom-Tom who stopped playing with the brown strands of her hair to look at it.

"Playing in ponds is for children," he said condescendingly, but Lysanna caught the tone of longing in his voice. She held his face in her hands before smiling at him.

"Sometimes, Tom-Tom, it is good to be a child. In fact, tell you what, I'll go in first. Would you like to follow me?"

His lower lip jutted out as he considered her words, and then he nodded. Lysanna stood up, threw off her shoes, helped him with his and tied her dress up a little so that it wouldn't get wet. She repeated the action with Tom-Tom, who stumbled a little when he got up, but then held her finger tightly as they made their way to the pond.

"Those are turtle-crabs, Tom-Tom," Lysanna told him with a smile, pointing at the animals, or was it birds? "They won't harm you, so try not to harm them, okay?"

The toddler shrugged in a manly manner, before following her into the pond. The cool water around her ankles made Lysanna sigh exuberantly, and she threw her arms in the air, splashing some water on Tom-Tom as she did so. He shrieked in indignation when his hair got wet, and then returned the favour, managing to make the bottom of her tresses become damp. They splashed around a bit, before Lysanna grabbed hold of him by the waist and brought him outside to cool.

"Tell me a story," the young noble demanded, and Lysanna leaned back against the tree to make herself comfortable as she brought him to her lap. Tom-Tom's inquisitive eyes reminded her of Liel_ (don't go there, Lysanna)_, before she winked at him.

"What kind do you like?"

"The one with fighting."

Lysanna bit back a smile at his words, and then thought. After a few moments: "Would you like to hear about the beast who was cursed?"

"Does it have fighting in it?"

She bit her lip as she considered. "A little? But not much. Mostly, it's a love story."

"Then I don't want to hear it."

"Tom-Tom!" A shriek interrupted the peaceful atmosphere, and both Lysanna and Tom-Tom turned around to see his mother running towards them. Mai followed her, looking as disinterested as ever. "Where have you been, my child? I was so worried!"

"Mamma!" Tom-Tom responded in kind, getting off Lysanna's lap to run towards his mother who grabbed him into a tight hug. Guiltily, Lysanna ran her fingers through her hair. His mother must be worried out of her mind. What was she thinking?

"Who is this?" Mai asked from behind her mother, looking completely unperturbed by the family reunion. "She doesn't look like the governess we hired."

"No, she's Lysanna," Tom-Tom said as if that explained everything. He turned back to his mother, and Lysanna hid a rueful smile behind her hand as Mai continued to survey her.

Then: "We haven't seen you around the court yet."

Lysanna got up, brushing her clothes as she did so. "No, I don't believe you have," she responded calmly, meeting the eyes of Zuko's (former?) girlfriend. Mai crossed her arms.

"What were you doing with my brother?"

"Oh, Mai, hush. She was obviously not interested in doing harm to Tom-Tom. My dear girl, thank you for taking care of him," The latter sentence was directed towards Lysanna who nodded, "—are you a daughter of a noble too?"

And here we go. "No. No, actually I don't know. You see… I'm lost, and I don't remember anything. Lord Iroh found me—"she lowered her eyes demurely, "—and offered me an invitation to the castle."

Mai's mother, who had briefly stiffened upon hearing that Lysanna wasn't a noble's daughter then relaxed. Lord Iroh was a powerful name, was it not?

"Are you acquainted with the Fire Lord?"

"Briefly."

"I see," Her mother glanced at Mai, whose eyes had narrowed infinitesimally.

Mai fisted her hands together as she glared at her mother. "I wish you would stop! It's over between us—why don't you get that?"

With that, the knife-wielder thundered back to the castle, leaving a sheepish looking Lysanna and a resigned mother. Tom-Tom had become quiet too, but his lower lip jutted out, as it did when he wasn't pleased with something. Then suddenly, the silent atmosphere was interrupted by a loud rumbled of Lysanna's stomach, and she blushed.

"Oh, yes, it is lunch time, is it not? Come, come, and let's get you to the Court." Mai's mother picked up Tom-Tom in a singularly fluid motion and began walking. Lysanna fell in step next to her. "My name is Jiaying."

"My name is Lysanna."

"Well, Lysanna, how do you like the castle so far?"

"It's beautiful," Lysanna said honestly, before glancing at Tom-Tom who had laid his head on his mother's shoulder, "—and I like it here very much." Whenever Fire Lord's aren't threatening me, she added in her head.

"That's good to hear—aah. Here we are."

They entered a huge hall that put to shame mostly everything Lysanna had seen in her world. The golden dome that encompassed the ceiling gleamed brightly; sending slivers of light all over that made everything and everyone glow. People in elaborate clothes mover around, and not for the first time, Lysanna remember her bedraggled appearance after her joust in the water. Then she squared her shoulders. Let them judge her. She wouldn't be fazed.

"Lysanna!" Iroh bundled forward, looking more formal than she had ever remembered, "Where were you? Sango said you left the room ages back—oh, hello Lady Jiaying."

"Lord Iroh," Jiaying curtseyed, despite the child on her shoulder. Lysanna found herself admiring her grace.

"If you can excuse us," Iroh said in a polite tone, and dragged Lysanna a little away. "What did you do to my nephew?"

Lysanna's cheeks turned red once again. "Nothing."

"Whatever it was—"Iroh glanced at the pedestal she hadn't noticed before, upon which sat Zuko on a golden throne, and next to him was Azula, "—has had him sulking since morning. He is rarely so disagreeable."

"We might've fought a little."

Was it just her imagination, or did Iroh's eyes dance with mirth?

"Did he apologize?"

She shifted her weight on the balls on her feet anxiously before spreading her palms in an annoyed gesture. "  
He did! But I—well, I might have slammed the door on his face."

"Truly precious," Iroh chuckled, patting her arm as he did so, and Lysanna scowled at him.

"Aren't you quite the gossip?"

"It concerns my nephew, my dear girl. Of course I have the right to gossip."

"No, you don't," she wrenched her arm away before crossing them together. "He is the most insufferable, rude, arrogant, annoying boy I've met my whole life!"

Iroh patted her back in a fatherly fashion, wisely dropping the topic. "Have you eaten yet?"

An hour later, her belly was stuffed and Lysanna was _this_ close to throwing it all up. Never had she eaten so much in one go in her whole life. It was quite the disconcerting experience to feel the food in her stomach as she moved, and she placed one hand on the offending appendage, biting back a groan. So far, not many people had expressed an interest in her, but she had noticed Jiaying talk eagerly to some ladies, gesturing towards her as she did so. Lysanna was just waiting for the inevitable ambush.

It happened just when she had decided to slink away to her room. Sometime during the course of her stay in the Hall, her eyes had accidentally met Zuko's, and he had given her such a venomous glance, that she thought it best to disappear off his radar for some time.

"Lady Lysanna, is it not?" A voice stopped her in her tracks, making Lysanna turn around warily. It was a trio of beautifully made up girls. The apparent leader glanced at her clothes with a wrinkled nose, before smoothing her face. "We have heard a lot about you."

Lysanna gave her a confused look before flipping her hair. "All good, I hope?"

"Oh, undoubtedly." The leader stepped forward, grabbing Lysanna's arm in a grip which wasn't too hard, but still gave her the urge to wrench her arm away, "I am Liyan. These are my companions, Suyan and Tulin."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Lysanna murmured, even as Liyan steered her into the crowd once more, stopping directly in front of Zuko's throne. Azula had disappeared for the time being, and Lysanna found herself thanking the Gods. "Might I ask—"

Lysanna's voice died down as Zuko stepped forward from his throne, making his way to them. He didn't even look at her. Instead, his eyes fixated themselves on Liyan who had begun curtseying with fervour.

"Lord Zuko! I trust you are well."

"Very well, thank you. Are you enjoying yourself?"

Suyan and Tulin giggled unashamedly even as Liyan leaned forward, completely encroaching Zuko's personal bubble. Her grip on Lysanna slackened, who took it as an opportunity to move away as fast as she could. The look in Zuko's golden eyes was unnerving as they flashed towards her, before settling on Liyan once more. Heart thudding, Lysanna made her way to the door once more, but she was stopped by yet another woman's voice.

"Aren't they the most annoying people you have met?"

Slowly, Lysanna turned to meet Ty Lee's amused brown orbs. "I believe I don't have the honour of knowing who I converse with."

"You are just as brilliant as I was told you are!" Ty Lee squealed, latching herself onto the arm Liyan had abused so grimly. She ignored Lysanna's wince as she continued to rant. "Do you know of all the rumours circulating your arrival? They say you are a spirit-send, a woman who shall bring the Fire Nation to higher glory."

Panicking, Lysanna made to shake her head, but Ty Lee wasn't finished. "I am Ty Lee, by the way. Those three idiots are my sisters. Mark my words, they all love Zuko, and they see you as a threat, so you best stay away from them. Though if you truly are a spirit-send—"here, Ty Lee appraised her with a calculating look in her eyes that didn't go with her airheaded image, "—you have nothing to fear, of course. Tell me, can you bend fire?"

"N-no. I cannot. I wasn't gifted."

Ty Lee shrugged. "Neither was I. But that's okay. I found my calling as a fighter. You fight too, don't you?"

Cautiously: "A little."

"Azula has been dying to meet you. She wants to have you spar with Zuko. I would've taken you to her, but she's already left." Here, Ty Lee pouted becomingly, and Lysanna had a vision of guys drooling upon seeing her pink lips pucker up so invitingly.

Gingerly, Lysanna extracted her arm from Ty Lee's grip. Once the fighter had let go, Lysanna leaned against the door to regain her balance before looking up at the expectant girl. "It would be my honour to meet Lady Azula."

"Then it's settled. In fact, I think you should come to the beach with us. It would help you escape this stuffy place."

Lysanna's eyes narrowed at the words, but then she relaxed: Ty Lee had always been rebellious. Still, her gut feeling told her there was more to this conversation than the fighter was letting her on to. She was being tested by something, or someone, and Lysanna had no urge to rise to the test. Airheaded bimbo, which was what she was.

So she rubbed her hands gleefully before flipping her hair. "I love the beach! There are so many cute guys there!"

The effect she had desired wasn't what she got, for Ty Lee actually jumped in excitement. "I know! We can totally make all of them fall for us! Cute boys are so much fun!" Her arm looped around Lysanna's once more in a gesture of friendship. "I think we'll get along swimmingly."

Lysanna resisted the urge to bang her head against the wall.

Then Ty Lee turned around, spotted something and began retreating, much to Lysanna's relief: "I'll see you later, then. I have some work to do."

"Of course, Ty Lee."

The girl skipped away, and warily, Lysanna began making her way out of the Hall once more. Only to smack straight into someone else's chest.

She moved back, rubbing her head. "I have the worst luck in the world."

"And I think I have the best, for I ran into a beautiful girl like you."

Lysanna's eyes snapped up, to meet those of Zhao's. The Admiral cut a menacing figure in the empty corridor, and she felt the urge to run away as fast as her legs could take her. So many chance meetings weren't good for her health.

"Thank you." Lysanna intoned in an imitation of Ty Lee's chirp before cocking her head to the side: "Who are you?"

"Oh, I am Admiral Zhao. I believe you are Lysanna?"

She nodded slowly. Some of the confusion must have shown on her face, for Zhao hastened to explain. "I am the leader of Renshu's squad. It was most distressing to hear of my soldier's conduct to a lady like you. I feel I must apologize on his behalf, Lady Lysanna. He is yet young. Your pardon of him has raised you quite high in my eyes."

Modestly: "It was nothing. He was so cute—I couldn't have Lord Zuko punish him!"

Zhao hummed in response, his eyes still fixated on hers in an intense, creepy stare that made Lysanna shift uncomfortably. She had a feeling he was sizing her up, trying to find out what she had in her that made her defeat a member of his squad. Lysanna was determined to come out with him feeling like she was merely lucky in the fight.

After a few terse moments, Zhao cocked his head to one side. "Have you had any formal training, Lady Lysanna?"

She giggled unabashedly. "Of course not, Lord Zhao. I think he went easy on me because I was so cute." Then she leaned forward as if sharing a big secret. "I think the Spirits were on my side."

"I'm sure that was not the case, Lady Lysanna. You seem quite powerful."

Lysanna rolled her eyes amusedly, before placing one cool hand on Zhao's arm, hoping to look flirty as she did so. "You are too kind, sir."

Suddenly: "Zhao!" Zuko barked loudly, striding towards them in strong, measured steps. Lysanna stepped back to allow him to join them in the corridor. His eyes flicked towards her in an annoyed fashion before resting on the Admiral."What are you doing here? You're supposed to be guarding the West Gate."

"Apologies, Lord Zuko. I shall be on my way." Zhao's tone conveyed his impertinence, his complete lack of respect for a Lord he did not consider worthy. Zuko must have realized this too, for his eyes turned hard. "I shall see you later, Lady Lysanna?"

"Oh, of course. Bye, Lord Zhao."

Zhao walked away, leaving her with Zuko. Slowly, she turned to face him, only to have him snap at her: "I thought Uncle said you were smart. Instead, you're throwing yourself on every person you meet!"

"That's none of your business!" She retorted right back, feeling her ire rise once more, just by being in his presence for less than a minute. What was with Zuko managing to make her so angry all the time?

Said Fire Lord gave her a wrathful look before leaning against the wall. "Zhao eats young girls like you for dinner."

"Isn't that nice of him," Lysanna said sarcastically, before moving forward, "I'm sure he is quite the dinner companion."

Zuko's hand landed on her shoulder in a bruising grip, and Lysanna flinched back, dislodging his arm as she did so. "Don't touch me!" she all but spat at the surprised Fire Lord. "I'm sick and tired of people touching me like I'm nothing but a toy for their amusement!"

His eyes softened. "I know the feeling."

"Well—I… I just—"she sputtered in response, lost in the depth of his suddenly approachable eyes. He had quite the disconcerting effect on her. It was, truly speaking, quite vexing. Her cheeks became warm.

"I would advise you to stay away from Zhao, and Liyan and her posse. They mean you harm."

Lysanna nodded. Then, hesitantly: "Thank you… _Lord_ _Zuko_."

"You're welcome… _Peasant_." Zuko called back, already walking away.

It was as much of a truce as they could ever have.

* * *

Evening meant being with Iroh for Lysanna. He had painstakingly begun trying to teach her how to write, and progress was, but slow. She was truly lost in the variety of scratches he showed her. Once, he would show her a letter, ask her to memorize it, and then five minutes later, the… the _thing_ had completely slipped her mind. Annoyed, she rubbed her head. Iroh was patient, but there were cracks in his patience that had begun showing. So Lysanna shook her head and leaned back on the chair.

"It's no use," she announced loudly, "I'm useless at this."

"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon, Lysanna," Iroh said peacefully, but she could detect the note of relief in his voice as he began putting away the parchment. So she stuck her tongue out at him teasingly before resting her head on the table. Iroh didn't say anything to that, and she could hear him puttering about with his teacup.

Slowly, Lysanna began to relax, the knots in her shoulder lessened, and her breathing evened out. Her hands formed a cushion for her face. From far away, she heard the door being opened and someone's boots walking forward briskly, coming to a stop next to her.

"Uncle," Zuko greeted warmly, "—_Peasant_."

Lysanna hid her smile in the crook of her arms before looking up blearily. "_Lord Zuko_."

Zuko hummed in response, reclining on Iroh's bed as he took off his boots. "Finally stopped doing reckless things, peasant?"

"Maybe. Have you stopped threatening young women yet?"

"Maybe," he replied in kind, arresting her with a raised brow, "but then you are no woman, are you?"

Lysanna huffed in response, going back to hiding her face in her arms as she tried to go regain the relaxed stage her body had entered prior to Zuko's entrance. But it was no use; her very body soul was singing in happiness. Her cheeks had regained its flushed look, her eyes were sparkling, and she really couldn't stop the wide grin from taking over her face. She liked this side of Zuko.

"What were you and the peasant doing, Uncle?"

"Ah, Zuko, I was teaching Lysanna to read," Iroh said finally, looking up from his perch on the floor where he was painstakingly making tea.

"So she's illiterate, _and_ stupid." Zuko said, and Lysanna couldn't help it, she rose to the challenge.

"I don't think," she began calmly,"—people have any right to judge me when they spend all their time escaping their very own Court."

Iroh chuckled at that, and Zuko gave her an irritable look before cushioning his head between his arms as he laid back, giving Lysanna a complete view of the muscles in his arms. She averted her eyes quickly.

"I don't think peasants have any right to address their Lords like that."

Lysanna shrugged. "I told you, you aren't my Lord yet."

"You live in _my_ castle, under _my_ providence," he pointed out.

"Surely you wouldn't grudge a homeless girl her shelter!" Lysanna exclaimed in surprise, wiggling her eyebrows comically before looking up at the amused face of the Fire Lord. "That would make you no man!"

"I'm Fire Lord; I can do anything."

Iroh was forgotten in their bickering.

"Can you bed a man then?"

"How uncouth. As expected from a peasant."

"Oh, I know: They said I could be anything, so I became a woman!*"

Zuko flashed a disarming grin, making her feel slightly weak around the knees. She was suddenly grateful she was seated. "Would you like to check if I'm a woman, peasant?"

Lysanna sputtered in response, and Iroh finally broke in with a loud laugh that made his belly jiggle. "Stop baiting the poor girl, Zuko. She doesn't have your talent in word play."

"I resent that," Lysanna finally murmured, having gained control of her heart and voice.

"No, no, I merely mean that Zuko is used to baiting people, for he is Fire Lord."

"I'm sure," she grumbled softly, getting up from her chair to walk to the door. "I'm calling it a night. See you tomorrow, Iroh… Zuko."

She didn't wait to hear Zuko's angry response as she walked away.

That night, she thankfully had no bad dreams

* * *

The next morning, while she was in Iroh's room (again), picking out scrolls for reading, she was assaulted by Zuko, who had taken the phrase 'storming into a room' to a whole new level as he burst in, almost completely destroying the hinges on the door.

"Someone's in a bad mood," she observed loudly, catching the attention of the Fire Lord who was previously focussing only on his Uncle. His eyes narrowed.

There goes our truce, Lysanna thought lightly, waiting for the inevitable assault on her person. She wasn't dissatisfied.

"Peasant!" he roared in a gruff tone, making Iroh look up in surprise, "—what have you been telling people?"

Confused: "What have _I_ been telling people?"

"Who gave that stupid girl Liyan the idea that we're betrothed?"

"Wait, _what_?"

"I should've known standing up for you was a bad idea—you're like the rest of them. Stupid, vain, attention-seeking… How dare you try to make a mockery out of me like this?"

Lysanna frowned. "But I didn't—"

He didn't wait to hear her answer. Instead: "Uncle, keep the peasant far, far away from me! I don't want to deal with this… this _filth_!" He spat at her, turning on his heel to sweep out of the room as quickly as he had come. Lysanna dropped the scroll she was holding in surprise, looking to Iroh for instruction. She hadn't realized she was crying until Iroh pulled her into a fatherly hug, patting her back soothingly.

"I—I don't know what his problem is!" she gasped from his shoulder, "—I didn't do anything. I'm not—I'm not stupid! Does he think I want to be—be betrothed to someone who calls me a _peasant_ on a daily basis? He's so annoying! THIS is so annoying! It's like I'm stuck in a fucking Jane Austen era with superpowers—and everyone's out to get me—and I don't even have my Darcy! This is unfair!" she continued to sob, words muffling against the silk Iroh wore, "—and my fucking family must be so worried! And Zuko thinks I'm getting a kick out of being here! I wish I was anywhere but here!"

"There, there, it'll be alright," Iroh intoned in that deep, calm bass of his. His voice made Lysanna stop crying for a moment, before starting anew. "Why don't you stay in this room today? You don't want to go the Court feeling like this. We'll have lunch and dinner here, together."

It was a big sacrifice. If there was one thing Iroh had been strict about, it was showing her face at that Court of Zuko's at least once. Like Iroh, she was allowed to have breakfast and dinner at her room, since those were the times for mostly men, but the Social Court was held during lunch, where almost all nobles were invited unless in a time of National Emergency. That was where she was required to show her face and mingle.

"T-thank you, Iroh," she blubbered against his shirt, feeling embarrassed at her outburst now. She leaned back slowly, wiping her face as nicely as she could. Iroh nodded at her, lifting his teacup.

"Would you like some tea?"

Despite herself, Lysanna laughed.

A/N: So i got six reviews. yay. that's why his update became faster. so lets sim for ten now, yes?

Cheers.

ignore the spelling mistakes. my backpack *back space key stopped working. so i can't even go back and delete *backpack. annoying mich? *Much. Yes!


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